FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Napoli - Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy - January 18, 2025 Napoli coach Antonio Conte reacts REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/File Photo
(Reuters) - Napoli manager Antonio Conte has said no team are invincible as his table-topping side prepare to host Juventus, who are undefeated in Serie A this season, in a key clash on Saturday.
Thiago Motta's Juve may not have lost in the domestic league but they have struggled after posting 13 draws and eight wins, leaving them in fifth place, 13 points adrift of Napoli.
"There are no unbeatable teams. Sooner or later, you have to lose; in general, losing is part of life," Conte told reporters on Thursday.
"... they are in the Champions League, they are a top club, like the Milan clubs, you always have to have a lot of respect.
"There’s a big history behind them, and every year they set out to win."
Despite losing two key players in striker Victor Osimhen on loan to Galatasaray at the start of the season and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris St Germain this month, Conte was open-minded about doing business in the current transfer window.
"I’m not going to do anything special; we need to be constructive. We have a group of players I’m happy with, with whom I could go to war," Conte said.
"Every window can improve you. If not now, then in June. You have to do it because we want to get back into Europe, and right now our squad is small.
"If someone joins to help us improve, we’ll welcome them. If not, we’ll handle it, work hard, and stay focused. However, looking ahead, the squad definitely needs strengthening. If we return to Europe, we’re currently too few."
Juve's visit to Naples sees a showdown between Conte and the Turin club where he spent much of his career and enjoyed the majority of his success, both as a player and a coach.
"I spent most of my footballing life there, and it was an amazing experience, a great lesson in all respects. I try to be better not just compared to those years but also compared to 24 hours ago," he said.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
